After weeks of focusing on a group of current and former elected officials in his search for a running mate, Donald Trump is increasingly intrigued by the idea of tapping retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn to project strength and know-how on national security, according to four people familiar with the vetting process.

Flynn, a registered Democrat but fierce critic of President Obama, previously ran the Defense Intelligence Agency.

The people who spoke with The Washington Post on Saturday did so on the condition of anonymity to discuss their private conversations in recent days with Trump’s confidants and campaign aides.

The turn toward a military figure is being driven by Trump himself rather than by his advisers, the people said, and comes as the real estate mogul is telling his friends that national unrest may demand a “tough and steady” presence alongside him on the ticket.

In Flynn, they added, Trump thinks he would have a partner whom he trusts, based on their close working relationship over the course of the campaign on policy. And he likes the image of a businessman and a general coming to Washington as outsiders.

The shift in how Trump is evaluating his short list has also been spurred by his growing sense that he does not necessarily want or need a running mate who will satisfy Republican insiders, in spite of long saying that he would probably go that direction. Instead, and after some testy exchanges with GOP lawmakers during his visit Thursday to Capitol Hill, Trump is more open than ever to a non-politician.

Despite being a Democrat, Flynn is quite the critic of Obama & his administration:

A Tea Party activist who worked on four National bus Tours and created Mega Rallies across the country. She has worked with conservative stars like Sarah Palin, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Andrew Breitbart and others.